Out on the Town: D.C. arts and entertainment highlights — Sept. 12-18

Everything arts and entertainment in the D.C. area this week!

FILM

BONNIE AND CLYDE

The 1967 classic starring Warren Beauty and Faye Dunaway as Depression-era bank robbers in love returns to the big screen as part of the Capital Classics series at Landmark’s West End Cinema. Directed with a ferocity by Arthur Penn, Bonnie and Clyde, co-starring Geraldine Page and Gene Hackman, is renowned for its bloodbath climax, a precursor to Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. 2301 M St. NW. Happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 each. Call 202-534-1907 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.

DC SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL

One of the largest festivals in the world of its kind, the 16th annual DC Shorts International Film Festival and Screenplay Competition features more than 150 shorts running an average of 5 to 15 minutes each. The films are presented in 19 Official Selection Showcases and 11 Special Interest Showcases, all screening at the Landmark E Street Cinema. Of course, part of the joy of watching any collection of short films is in the discovery, taking delight in the variety of subject matter, styles, and genres on display. It’s like a Whitman’s Sampler, but on film. The festival kicks off Thursday, Sept. 19, with a Filmmaker Welcome Reception. Friday, Sept. 20, offers a day of workshops for budding filmmakers on topics ranging from screenwriting to directing to entertainment law, and culminating with two showcase screenings that evening. The festival concludes on Saturday, Sept. 28, with two Best of the Fest Showcase screenings at The Miracle Theatre. The day before, Friday, Sept. 27, comes the annual Screenplay Competition, in which a handful of scripts are performed live for the audience, who will then vote to award one aspiring filmmaker $2,000 as seed money for their project. The evening concludes with the World Premiere of last year’s winner, By Any Other Name. Individual Showcase tickets are $15. All Access Festival Passes are $140 and provide access to all showcases and the parties. Many of this year’s films are available for watching online during the run of the festival for $40. For more details on this year’s festival, pick up a copy of the official DC Shorts Program Guide at venues around town or browse it at Issuu.com/metroweekly. Call 202-393-4266 or visit https://festival.dcshorts.com for more details.

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH

The film version of John Cameron Mitchell’s wildly imaginative musical comedy-drama features brilliantly subdued lighting effects and animated sequences, a strong cast including Mitchell in the title role, and an infectious punk score by Stephen Trask. All of that is what makes it a recurring hit on the “midnight movie” circuit, with another run at Landmark’s E Street Cinema set for next weeekend. But the 2001 film earned its place in Metro Weekly‘s list of “25 Gay Films Everyone Should See: The Sequel” chiefly on account of its story, which subtly, slyly captures the ongoing struggle for recognition of the transgender community in mainstream society. The fictional trans title character effectively stands in for many actual transgender people who understandably harbor some resentment over mainstream society’s routine ignorance, even discrimination. Hedwig, the “internationally ignored song stylist,” doggedly pursues respect in a world that makes fun of her and bluntly refuses to understand her predicament. The ultimate message: Hedwig cannot be denied. Friday, Sept. 13, and Saturday, Sept. 14, at midnight. 555 11th St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-452-7672 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.

LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE

At the peak of her success, Linda Ronstadt, one of the most successful recording artists of all time, turned away from pop music to explore a variety of other genres, from American standards to operetta to traditional Mexican canciones. Sadly, her singing voice has been silenced due to Parkinson’s disease. Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, the award-winning gay documentarians behind The Times of Harvey Milk and HOWL, offer a musical biography telling Ronstadt’s story through her own words and music, as well as commentary by professional colleagues including Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, and Jackson Browne. Opens Friday, Sept. 13. Area theaters, including the Angelika at Mosaic, 2911 District Ave., Fairfax, Va. Call 571-512-3301 or visit www.angelikafilmcenter.com.

RA XTRA: GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH

Called into action by the 2016 election — and the accompanying wave of discriminatory bills and laws that came crashing down especially hard on LGBTQ communities in the South — the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus jumped on a tour bus and headed for Tennessee. David Charles Rodrigues and an eight-person film crew were along for every mile of the tour’s course from Tennessee through Mississippi, Alabama, and the Carolinas. Gay Chorus Deep South pursues the Chorus’ mission of unity with song, sass, and through the personal stories of several chorus members — chief among them the SFGMC Artistic Director and Conductor Dr. Tim Seelig, a former Southern Baptist minister. Seelig, a bright and funny presence, leads the chorus through perhaps the film’s most moving moment, as they sing a traditional Irish blessing while gathered among family and friends who’ve come to see them perform. The film, next up in the monthly screening series from Reel Affirmations, conveys a strong message of openness, while also presenting the SFGMC’s Southern tour as a fierce act of resistance. Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Tickets are $14. Call 202-452-7672 or visit thedccenter.org. (André Hereford)

SMITHSONIAN’S BACK TO SCHOOL FILM SERIES

This weekend, the Warner Bros. Theater in the National Museum of American History offers a mini-film festival focused on popular films about teenagers and set in or around school. On Saturday, Sept. 14, the lineup includes Footloose at 12:30 p.m., Grease at 2:30 p.m., and School of Rock at 4:30 p.m., while Sunday, Sept. 15, offers Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at 12:15 p.m., The Breakfast Club at 3:10 p.m., and Mean Girls at 5 p.m. On Saturday night from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. there’s even a dance party, “Grease is the Party,” featuring themed beverages and where “sock hop attire or Kevin Bacon cosplay [is] highly encouraged.” 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Tickets are $15.50 with fees. Call 202-633-1000 or visit www.si.edu/theaters.

THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN’S CREEK

“How did this get made in the 1940s?” That’s the question you will likely ask yourself as you leave the Smithsonian Theaters screening of what they bill as “one of the most outrageous films in American history.” Directed by Preston Sturgers, who would go on to inspire Mel Brooks and the Coen Brothers, among others, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek tells the story of a small-town girl, played by Betty Hutton, getting into big trouble at a party to entertain soldiers on leave during World War II. A chaotic comedy of errors ensues after she discovers she’s pregnant, with pointed jabs at patriotism, sex, gender, and politics. The screening is followed by an exclusive Q&A and book signing by Tom Sturges, Preston’s son. Sunday, Sept. 22, at 2:30 p.m. The Warner Bros. Theater, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Tickets are $15.50 with fees. Call 202-633-1000 or visit www.si.edu/imax.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Landmark’s E Street Cinema presents its monthly run of Richard O’Brien’s camp classic, billed as the longest-running midnight movie in history. Landmark’s showings come with a live shadow cast from the Sonic Transducers, meaning it’s even more interactive than usual. Friday, Sept. 13, and Saturday, Sept. 14, at midnight. 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.

THIS IS NOT BERLIN

Filmmaker Hari Sama’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama is a smart, uber-queer, Mexican indie that shouldn’t be overlooked. The story of high school buddies Carlos and Gera growing up fast in ’80s Mexico City has a sexy, punk/New Wave angle that should appeal to queer alternative folks who came of age in that era, cut with a contemporary cool that might also appeal to audiences who didn’t paint on eyeliner, tease and gel their hair up to the ceiling, and spend their teenage nights pogo-ing with birds of a feather inside their favorite haunt. The cast, including the 2018 Oscar nominee for Roma, Marina de Tavira, as Carlos’ disapproving mom, rocks, and so does the Spanish-language New Wave soundtrack. Opens Friday, Sept. 13. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com. (André Hereford)

Fabulation — Photo: Christopher Banks

STAGE

ASSASSINS

Each of the nine notorious killers and wanna-bes rounded up in Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s musical Assassins raises a pistol towards the audience in director Eric Schaeffer’s first-class production at Signature Theatre. The entire premise, the score, the costumes, and the performances of this Assassins teeter on a dagger’s edge between a morbid fascination with a killer’s mentality, and the cast’s mordant delivery. Schaeffer guides the company surely along the precarious edge, and, bolstered by music director Jon Kalbfleisch’s solid orchestra, the cast serves up Sondheim’s score with the right touch of showmanship to soften the show’s piercing blows. This winking production, Signature’s third mounting of Assassins, adroitly sidesteps partisan arguments by focusing on the impartial power of a gun to affect anybody (or any body). The joke and the truth of Sondheim and Weidman’s prescient ode to the power of one finger on the trigger is that the gun is the uncredited main character of Assassins. The show seems to suggest that the gun might be the principal character of American history, once all the ballads have been written. To Sept. 29. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington. Tickets are $40 to $108. Call 703-820-9771, or visit www.sigtheatre.org. (AH)

FABULATION, OR THE RE-EDUCATION OF UNDINE

Stylish, successful New York City publicist Undine Barnes Calles is cruising for her comeuppance at the start of Lynn Nottage’s spiky comedy. And in swift order, the catty, uncaring PR maven gets served all the retribution that’s coming to her, and then some, as she loses her man, her money, and her mantle as an upwardly mobile mover in Manhattan’s chic social circles. Fabulation yields a bounty of laughs for the audience at Mosaic’s new production, thanks to two-time Pulitzer winner Nottage’s brilliantly funny script and an on-the-money cast. High-and-mighty in her high-fashion stilettos, Felicia Curry is fabulous as Undine, who gets rocked steadily downward by every disastrous blow until she lands back at the dreaded place she started: with her family in the Brooklyn projects. The script, under Eric Ruffin’s keen direction, captures the universal in Undine’s tale, but this fable quite distinctly tells the Undine Barnes Calles version of the story, dished up with the snap and flavor of black Brooklyn meets Manhattan glam. Curry rocks Undine’s killer wardrobe, and caresses Nottage’s ripe language without being too precious about it. Her well-honed performance leads us safely along Undine’s dizzying ride towards redemption, anchoring a vibrant, versatile ensemble that handles just about everything else. Through Sept. 22. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $45 to $65. Call 202-399-7993, ext. 2 or visit www.mosaictheater.org. (AH)

SURFACING: AN INVENTORY OF HELPLESSNESS

ExPats Theatre presents a 60-minute work by Russian/Austrian writer Julya Rabinowich, in which three characters live in captivity, invisible to the world. There’s the female refugee, hiding underground for fear of deportation and traumatized by her cross-cultural journey, a kidnap victim locked in a basement at the mercy of her perpetrator, and a young man imprisoned in his own home due to the threat of blood-revenge against his family. Billed as a “thought-provoking production [that] opens our eyes to the plight of the marginalized, disposessed, and downtrodden.” Weekends to Sept. 29. Lab Theatre 1, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $35. Call 202-399-7993 or visit www.atlasarts.org.

WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME

In her boundary-breaking new play, Heidi Schreck resurrects her 15-year-old self, a repeat winner of Constitutional debate competitions, in order to trace the profound relationship between four generations of women in her family and the founding document that shaped their lives. Having garnered two Tony Award nominations earlier in the year and recently named a Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama, What The Constitution Means to Me starring Schreck comes to the Kennedy Center for a limited, two-week engagement. Wednesday, Sept. 11 through Thursday, Sept. 22. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $49 to $169. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

The B-52s

MUSIC

BLOC PARTY

Led by the gay Kele Okereke, the British indie-rock band returns to celebrate 20 years together with a particular focus on the band’s critically acclaimed 2006 album Silent Alarm, which they’ll perform in its entirety. The American indie-pop duo Cults opens. Monday, Sept. 16. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. Tickets are $45 to $75. Call 202-888-0020 or visit www.theanthemdc.com

BUTTERFLY

“Madama Butterfly is a piece that all opera companies are sort of wrestling with,” says Timothy Nelson, noting that the debate is over “whether it’s still appropriate to perform the piece, because it has some major misogynistic and racial problems in it.” Few opera-focused entities have altered Puccini’s tragedy to the extent that The In Series has under Nelson, whose new production is an “experiment in trying to find a way to do the piece that makes it still speak on a human level, and tries to excise race from it entirely.” Guided by David Belasco’s one-act play that inspired Puccini’s epic opera, the resulting 80-minute production centers more than ever on the work’s titular character. The In Series further distinguishes its truncated production with two distinct versions — one in English, and another in the traditional Italian, with projected English supertitles. They will be performed on alternating dates by differing casts. Music Director Jessica Krash will accompany both casts playing Puccini’s score on piano. Through Sept. 22. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $21 to $46, or $31 to $56 for Opening Night & Celebration. Call 202-204-7741 or visit www.inseries.org.

CREATIVE CAULDRON’S SUMMER CABARET SERIES

The 10th annual summer cabaret series at ArtSpace Falls Church draws to a close with two performances of “Meatballs and Music” by Tom Sweitzer, a music therapist who shares the message, through his personal story, of the power of music, the importance of connection, and the importance of forgiveness. Friday, Sept. 13, and Saturday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. 410 South Maple Ave. in Falls Church. Tickets are $18 to $22 per show, or $60 for a table for two with wine and $120 for four with wine. Call 703-436-9948 or visit www.creativecauldron.org.

ELISE TESTONE’S ALL-STAR AMY WINEHOUSE BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE

Two days before what would have been her 36th birthday, the great, late British soul singer is celebrated in a concert featuring Testone, a singer-songwriter who became a finalist on American Idol, backed by an eight-piece band of musicians who have performed with the Trey Anastasio Band, Prince, Snarky Puppy, and more. The concert also features Philadelphia-based reggae/fusion band The Underwater Sounds playing The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Thursday, Sept. 12. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $22 to $32. Call 202-787-1000 or visit www.thehamiltondc.com.

GAY MEN’S CHORUS: COULDA, WOULDA, SHOULDA CABARET

Members of the chorus take to the stage for a cabaret of funny stories and songs from the worlds of pop and Broadway — all of which “we wish we had done differently.” The program includes songs including “You And Me (But Mostly Me),” “The Road You Didn’t Take,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody/Dancing On My Own,” “Chandelier,” and “‘Till There Was You.” Saturday, Sept. 21, at 5 and 8 p.m. City Winery DC, 1350 Okie St. NE. Tickets are $45. Call 202-250-2531 or visit www.citywinery.com.

The resident symphony at Strathmore lives to see another season thanks to donors and a new partnership. And the National Philharmonic kicks things off with the acclaimed Eroica Trio in a performance of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto in C Major, one of the most unusual concertos in the canon, at once intimate and symphonic in style. Also on the program at the season-opening concert, led by the organization’s Piotr Gajewski, is the symphony from which the trio of violinist Sara Parkins, cellist Sara Sant’Ambrogio, and pianist Erika Nickrenz took its name — although Beethoven originally intended his groundbreaking Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major to be named for Napoleon Bonaparte, in recognition of what he thought were Napoleon’s democratic ideals. The German composer scrapped those plans, however, once he learned that Napoleon had proclaimed himself Emperor of the French. And thus the work known for its classical control and romantic exuberance became known as the “Eroica” Symphony instead. Saturday, Sept. 21, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 22, at 3 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md. Tickets are $29 to $79. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

SHEMEKIA COPELAND

Continuing the legacy of blues divas Etta James and Bessie Smith — to say nothing of her late father, Texas bluesman Johnny Copeland — Shemekia Copeland is far from just a powerhouse brassy blues singer-songwriter. The stirring, genre-bending music featured on the 40-year-old’s eighth release, America’s Child, is a bluesy, soul-fired blend of Americana, folk, and rock. Recorded in Nashville, the set “celebrates our collective diversity in all its forms and colors.” Friday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets are $25 to $45. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.ampbystrathmore.com.

THE B-52’S

Fred Schneider returns to the area with his “Love Shack” pack (including fellow LGBTQ members Keith Strickland and Kate Pierson), this time as part of a 40th Anniversary Tour, which comes in support of a first-ever official history of the band published by Da Capo Press. The group is also working to develop an authorized documentary about the group with producer Fred Armisen and director Craig Johnson. The group’s debut at the Anthem next week will be accompanied by opening sets from fellow ’80s-era hitmakers Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Berlin (“Take My Breath Away”). Tuesday, Sept. 17. Doors at 6:30 p.m. 901 Wharf St. SW. Tickets are $55 to $95. Call 202-888-0020 or visit www.theanthemdc.com.

FOOD & DINING

BOURBON STEAK: SPECIALTY DRINK & DESSERT TOASTING THE REACH

In honor of the Kennedy Center’s expansion, the fine-dining restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown is offering a specialty drink and dessert, both inspired by the center’s original namesake. A favorite cocktail of President Kennedy, the classic daiquiri gets fancifully dressed up by Head Bartender Sarah Rosner with a concoction she’s calling The Lancer and Lace — nodding to the White House code names for the 35th President and First Lady Jackie Kennedy — and that sees Strongwater Golden Bitters, Don Ciccio & Figli Ambrosia Herbal Liqueur, and Fino Sherry embellishing the standard daiquiri base of rum — here, Brugal Extra Dry Rum — with cane and lime juices. Meanwhile, Pastry Chef Chelsea Spaulding riffs on a preferred treat of the former president with her Waffle Dessert special that finds the pastry drenched in chocolate and topped with banana toffee, a scoop of peanut butter ice cream, and marshmallow fluff. The specials are available in the dining room, lounge, and patio at Bourbon Steak for the duration of the REACH’s Opening Festival, ending Sunday, Sept. 22. 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Call 202-944-2026 or visit www.fourseasons.com/washington.

DC BEER WEEK

When this promotion was launched 11 years ago, there weren’t any breweries based in D.C., just a dedicated crew of craft beer aficionados with a dream. Now there are a dozen breweries in D.C. proper and the entire region has seen an explosion in the craft. DC Beer Week has grown by leaps and bounds, with dozens of events taking place over the course of eight days. This year’s Marquee Events include: “Red Bear Celebrates Women In Beer” on Thursday, Sept. 12, featuring a panel discussion on the topic; Brewers on the Block in Buffalo & Bergen’s outdoor beer garden Suburbia on Saturday, Sept. 14, where guests can get unlimited pours in a souvenir tasting glass from 40-plus area breweries, cideries, and meaderies; and on Sunday, Sept. 15, the 3rd Annual Record Fair at Right Proper Brewing Company’s Brookland Production House, where Songbyrd, Joe’s Record Paradise, and Joint Custody will be among the local record vendors on display, with treats served up by Smoke and Ember, Eat 170 and Bri’s Brookland Creamery, plus vintage clothing from Antiqui-TEEs and the capability of tie-dying your own Right Proper t-shirt. Additional highlights to come in the final weekend: a Friday the 13th Superstitious “Lucky Food Specials” and Atlas Brew Works beers on tap at City Tap Penn Quarter, and on Saturday, Sept. 14, both a showcase of Ciders, Lagers & Lambics at Anxo, as well as an Oktoberfest grand opening party for Bronson Bier Hall in Arlington. Visit www.dcbeerweek.net for a full schedule of events.

Section 14

ART & EXHIBITS

6 @ 35: CELEBRATING WASHINGTON SCULPTORS GROUP’S 35TH ANNIVERSARY

The Zenith Gallery toasts the 35th anniversary of an organization that supports area sculptors by collaborating with other arts organizations, helping develop careers and exhibiting artwork. The latest exhibition in Zenith’s downtown Sculpture Space highlights six member artists of the Washington Sculptors Group, selected by a jury comprised of Sandy Bellamy, the official art curator for D.C.’s public buildings, art critic and curator Nancy Nesvet, and Zenith’s Margery Goldberg. The six artists with works on display are Luc Fiedler, Allen Linder, Mitra Lore, Vienne Rea, Gil Ugiansky, and Wilfredo Valladares. Now to Jan. 4, with a Meet the Artists Reception on Sept. 18. 1111 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Call 202-783-2963 or visit www.zenithgallery.com.

ARTY QUEERS: D.C.’S LGBTQ+ ART MARKET

The DC Center for the LGBT Community offers the chance for local LGBTQ and queer-identified artists to showcase and sell their works on the second Saturday of every month, including Sept. 14, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Prospective art buyers can expect to see original artworks in a range of media, including painting, pottery, photography, jewelry, glasswork, textiles, and clothing. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Call 202-682-2245 or visit www.thedccenter.org.

MANIFESTO: ART X AGENCY

More than 100 works of art and ephemera created over the past century are currently on display in this group exhibition at the Hirshhorn. The specific focus is on artist manifestos and their impact, exploring how artists have used these statements of principles or theories to engage with the political and social issues of their time, including the present day. Manifesto: Art X Agency is named after a multichannel film by German artist Julian Rosefeldt that features actress Cate Blanchett performing excerpts from some of the great manifestos of the past century. Dating to 2015, Rosefeldt’s film makes its Hirshhorn debut as part of the exhibition, which is mostly comprised of seminal works from the museum’s permanent collection made by Alexander Calder, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Jackson Pollock, Guerrilla Girls, Adrian Piper, Nam June Paik, and Glenn Ligon. Now to Jan. 5. Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit www.hirshhorn.si.edu.

MID-CENTURY MASTER: THE PHOTOGRAPHER OF ALFRED EISENSTAEDT

Nearly 50 photographs and ephemera from the Life Magazine artist known for capturing larger-than-life personalities and those among the most notable people of the 20th century — from Marilyn Monroe to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. This special exhibition at Hillwood explores the relationship that evolved over the course of photo sessions between Eisenstaedt and Hillwood founder Marjorie Merriweather Post. Concurrently, on the second floor of the mansion, Hillwood features a special display celebrating Adelaide Close Riggs, the eldest of Post’s three daughters, in recognition of her dedication and contributions to the museum as well as the 20th anniversary of her passing. To Jan. 12. 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Suggested donation is $18. Call 202-686-5807 or visit www.HillwoodMuseum.org.

QUEENS OF EGYPT

A new exhibition at the National Geographic Museum puts a rare spotlight on the queens of ancient Egypt, including Hatshepsut, Nefertari, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra VII. The life and leadership of these legendary figures, whose rule ranged from the New Kingdom (1539-1514 B.C.) to the Ptolemaic dynasty (51-30 B.C.), is told with the help of more than 300 ancient Egyptian artifacts, including monumental statues, sparkling jewelry, and impressive sarcophagi — plus the use of advanced virtual reality technology providing a 3D flythrough tour of one of the most well-preserved tombs in the Valley of the Queens, that of Queen Nefertari. Many of the objects on display come courtesy of the Museo Egizio of Turin, Italy, one of the international cultural partners in the exhibition. And much of the research is based on the work of renowned Egyptologist and National Geographic Explorer Kara Cooney, author of the companion book When Women Ruled The World: Six Queens of Egypt, published by National Geographic Books last fall. Extended to Sept. 15. The museum is located at 1145 17th St. NW. Tickets are $10 to $15. Call 202-857-7588 or visit www.ngmuseum.org.

REFIK ANADOL: INFINITE SPACE

A D.C. original that just opened a new gallery in New York’s Chelsea Market, ArTecHouse presents the first major retrospective of Refik Anadol, a thoroughly 21st-century-focused artist who uses data and computerized networks to create radical visualizations of our digitized memories, expanding the possibilities of architecture, narrative, and the movement. Through site-specific, parametric data sculptures and immersive installations, the L.A.-based Turkish artist helps rethink the physical world, our relationship to time and space, and the creative potential where humans and machines interact. The exhibition’s title derives from an infamous, internationally touring immersive installation featuring three infinity boxes and a selection of multimedia works spanning Anadol’s career. Extended to Sept. 15. ArTecHouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets are $13 to $20, with “after hours” sessions featuring a bar with exhibition-related Augmented Reality cocktails. visit www.artechouse.com.

SECTION 14: THE OTHER PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

Before it became a gay desert mecca and a resort for the rich and famous, Palm Springs was a desert outpost — as well as home to the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. The National Museum of the American Indian shines a light on a land battle in Palm Springs, yet another in a long string of conflicts between western expansion and Indigenous peoples’ rights. The focus is on Section 14, a one-square-mile tract in downtown Palm Springs that forms the heart of the reservation. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians created the exhibition, which was organized by the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum. On display through Jan. 2020. National Museum of the American Indian, Independence Avenue at 4th Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit www.nmai.si.edu.

THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS: STORIES OF GLOBAL DISPLACEMENT

Works posing urgent questions about the experiences and perceptions of migration and the current global refugee crisis are the focus of a special summer exhibition at the Phillips Collection. Organized in partnership with the New Museum in New York, The Warmth of Other Suns presents 75 historical and contemporary artists, from the U.S. and all over the world, who have reconstructed personal and collective tales of migration via art installations, videos, paintings, and documentary images. The exhibition brings together a multitude of voices and exposes the universality of migration as an experience shared by many. That includes the more than six million African Americans whose exodus from the American South during the Jim Crow era is depicted in Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series, a cornerstone of the permanent collection at the Phillips. To Sept. 22. 1600 21st St. NW. Tickets are $10 to $12. Call 202-387-2151 x247 or visit www.phillipscollection.org.

Fords Theatre History on Foot: Eric Messner — Photo: Gary Erskine

ABOVE AND BEYOND

D.C. ART ALL NIGHT

In 2009, Alexander Padro and his partner were so inspired by a visit to Paris’ Nuit Blanche that they launched a D.C. version of the free, one-night-only art festival in their Shaw neighborhood. The idea was so successful, it soon expanded to seven other city neighborhoods, overseen by each locality’s Main Street program. The festival’s activities, performances, and displays represent all types of art and artists, ranging from performers in music, dance, theater, and poetry to visual artists working in painting, photography, film, sculpture, crafts, and fashion. Co-sponsored by D.C.’s Department of Small and Local Business Development as well as the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the 11th annual D.C. Art All Night is set for Congress Heights, Deanwood Heights, Dupont Circle, H Street, Minnesota Avenue, North Capitol, Shaw, and Tenleytown. Saturday, Sept. 14, from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Visit www.dcartallnight.org for full details.

FORD’S THEATRE’S HISTORY ON FOOT

A local actor offers the guided tour Investigation: Detective McDevitt, portraying Detective James McDevitt, a D.C. police officer patrolling a half-block from Ford’s Theatre the night President Lincoln was shot. Written by Richard Hellesen and directed by Mark Ramont, the 1.6-mile walking tour revisits and reexamines the sites and clues from the investigation into the assassination. Tours are offered approximately three evenings a week at 6:45 p.m. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $17. Call 202-397-7328 or visit www.fords.org.

KENNEDY CENTER’S REACH: OPENING FESTIVAL

Years in the making, the unprecedented addition to the Kennedy Center campus of 72,000 square feet of interior space and nearly twice the volume of outdoor space officially opens this weekend via a 16-day, star-studded festival offering nearly 500 events. Free, timed-entry passes are required for entry into the REACH — and unfortunately, all passes for the festival’s marquee evening and weekend events are fully booked. Still, there are notable events planned over the festival’s second week that are available by reserving the appropriate morning and afternoon passes. The passes also grant access to recurring REACH installations, including: Skylight Soundscapes, an immersive, music-centered lounge where guests can explore everything from the techno scenes in Detroit and Berlin, to the art and desert setting of Burning Man, to the fuzzy inside of a synthesizer; and the Virtual Reality Lounge, where Oculus headsets bring to life multi-dimensional works such as Robert Connor’s Half Life VR, featuring the Royal Swedish Ballet performing a work by choreographer Sharon Eyal, Lena Herzog’s Last Whispers, an immersive oratorio about the mass extinction of languages, and Julie Taymor’s “Circle of Life” in 360°, a panoramic video from Broadway’s The Lion King enabling viewers to choose where to look at every point. The festival runs to Sept. 22. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org/reach to reserve passes or for more information, including a full schedule of events.

MARYLAND RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

As summer nears its end, thoughts naturally turn to jousting, feasting, crafts, theater, music, and merriment. Yes, it’s time once again for one of the world’s largest festivals recreating 16th century England. Now in its 43rd season and set in a park outside of Annapolis, Md., the festival encourages patrons to dress up in period costume. They’re available to rent if you don’t have your own doublet and hose. Just don’t bring weapons, real or toy, or pets, as they tend to eat the turkey legs. It all takes place in the 27-acre Village of Revel Grove, where more than 200 professionals perform as characters of the era, naturally led by His Most Royal Highness King Henry VIII, wandering the steeds and streets when not on the village’s 10 stages or in the 3,000-seat arena, where a headline attraction is the jousting troupe Debracey Productions with its field full of horses, men in armor, chariots, trick riding and thrills for all ages. Also on hand are over 140 artisans exhibiting their predominantly handmade crafts in renaissance shops, five taverns and watering holes helping adult patrons stay hydrated and in good spirits, and 42 food and beverage emporiums to quench the hunger and thirst of even the youngest and most discerning. Weekends through Oct. 20. 1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis, Md. Tickets are $18 to $20 for a single-day adult ticket until Sept. 8, or $23 to $27 after; passes range from $41 for a 2-Day Pass to $160 for a Season Pass good for all 19 days. Call 800-296-7304 or visit www.rennfest.com.